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 Friday, April 13, 2001
Open-wheel fans get treated to both specialties
By Jack Arute
Special to ABC Sports Online
Open cockpit fans get a treat this Sunday when CART's FedEx Champ Car and the IRL's Northern Light Series compete on opposite sides of the country.
CART's annual trek to the streets of Long Beach, Calif. showcases their product (ABC, 4 p.m. ET), just after the Infiniti Indy 200 at Miami-Homestead spotlights the IRL (ABC, 2 p.m. ET). One road race and one oval race, both aired back-to-back on ABC.
|  | | Canadian Paul Tracy celebrates as he passes the checkered flag at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach last year. |
It would be easy to use the day to compare the two. But that would be an erroneous tactic. Instead, fans should watch both to enjoy the contrasts.
Street racing is a big part of CART's annual menu and Long Beach is where it first started. After several seasons of hosting Formula One, Long Beach Grand Prix's founder, Chris Pook, switched to CART and has enjoyed a mix of Hollywood, Monaco and road racing finesse ever since.
Drivers say that Long Beach changes the traditional equation. While a lot of CART tracks require equal application of racing fellow drivers and racing the track itself, Long Beach puts heavy emphasis upon the track. Shoreline Drive provides the speed, while several sections present opportunities for drivers to out-brake one another to complete a pass.
Technically challenging may be the proper term to classify Long Beach. But it is the work on pit road that rewards a driver with a win. The quickest way to gain track position is to shave a couple of seconds off a pit stop. Another way is to "short pit" -- to reduce the overall time spent on pit road by pitting out of sequence and/or electing not to take on Firestone tires, or a full tank of fuel during a stop.
Short pitting could also play a role in Florida in the IRL's second race of the year. A 200-mile race puts a premium upon IRL crews. For them, the key is the number of laps run under caution. Those laps have a direct correlation to the number of stops that teams will make.
On average, an IRL car at speed consumes almost two gallons per lap. Under caution, a car uses fuel at about half that rate. If enough caution laps are run, then teams can look at making the race on two instead of three stops.
The Infiniti Indy 200 is the Northern Light Series' first visit to the flat 1.5-miler. It will also mark their first application of a newly mandated rear wing angle.
Following offseason testing, the IRL decided to increase the required wing angle to better stabilize the cars. It's a new twist and will put a premium on teams that sort out its implications quickly.
Don't be surprised if the Infiniti pole tops 200 mph. Phoenix winner Sam Hornish Jr. did it in testing and so did several others. If the pole does go over 200 though, the race speeds will be below that figure.
Together, these two events will present the best elements of American open cockpit racing -- technical precision at Long Beach and raw speed at Homestead. Different disciplines, but entertaining when put back-to-back. All in a four-hour package that still will be shorter than the average NASCAR race.
Jack Arute mans the pits for ABC Sports' auto racing coverage. He writes a column every Monday for ABC Sports Online.
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 Cristiano da Matta takes the checkered flag in Monterrey Mexico.
avi: 1340 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sam Hornish Jr. races to the finish line to capture the IRL opener.
avi: 1790 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Paul Tracy takes the checkered flag on the streets of Long Beach.
avi: 1413 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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